


Trying to Find a Boy Who Understands Me

by Spoodlemonkey



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Background Relationships, Connor's evil ex, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Freddie to the rescue, M/M, Minor Mitch Marner/Auston Matthews, Not Hockey Players (Hockey RPF), allusions to a REALLY shitty relationship, briefly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:02:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23725771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spoodlemonkey/pseuds/Spoodlemonkey
Summary: They’ve lost Mitch and Auston to the crowd of the bar, probably wrapped around one another in a dark corner. It’s comfortable though, leaning against a tall table, bodies turned towards each other and ducked in close to hear one another over the ambient noise. Connor hasn’t been on a date in ages, not since his last disastrous relationship, and he hates how much he wishes this were one.
Relationships: Frederik Andersen/Connor Brown
Comments: 2
Kudos: 106





	Trying to Find a Boy Who Understands Me

**Author's Note:**

> I've had such terrible writers block but I'm finally working through all of this stress to get something done! Unbeta'd so all mistakes are my own, don't own the boys.
> 
> Stay safe <3

“Your beer kind of sucks.”

“Compared to what? The award winning labels from Denmark?” 

“Yup.”

Connor laughs. 

“I’ll have to find some Hof for you to try; you’ll never look at Molson the same way again.” Freddie promises, eyes crinkling. 

“I’m pretty sure you’re just messing with me,” Connor accuses but it’s lighthearted. Freddie shrugs but doesn’t shed any further light on the subject. They’ve lost Mitch and Auston to the crowd of the bar, probably wrapped around one another in a dark corner. It’s comfortable though, leaning against a tall table, bodies turned towards each other and ducked in close to hear one another over the ambient noise. Connor hasn’t been on a date in  _ ages, _ not since his last disastrous relationship, and he hates how much he wishes this were one. 

“You want another?” Freddie gestures with his empty. 

“Sure.” He’s in no hurry to call an end to the night. Freddie is fun to talk to,  _ very _ easy to look at, and he’s either really good at faking it, or seems to enjoy Connor’s company just as much. 

Freddie gives him a warm smile and heads for the bar- it’s not far and Connor gets to watch him go. He gets a text from Mitch asking how he’s doing- he sends back a thumbs up, quickly putting his phone away when Freddie makes it back to their table. 

Only it’s not Freddie when he looks up.

“Hey Connor.” Alex looks as good as he did a year ago, as perfectly sculpted and groomed. His smile is just as welcoming. Connor’s stomach sinks.

“Alex,” he thinks about pulling out his phone and faking a call. 

“It’s good to see you,” he says, stepping in close, closer than Connor is comfortable with. He leans against the table. “You look good.” 

His gaze rakes over Connor. He shivers. 

“Thanks,” Connor clears his throat, wishing he had something to do with his hands. “Was there something you wanted?” 

“I just saw you over here by yourself and thought you’d like some company,” Alex smiles at him, that same stupid smile that Connor fell for over and over again when he should have known better. He does now. “You looked lonely.”

“I’m here with someone.” 

Alex’s makes a show of looking around. 

“I guess he left.” He touches Connor’s hand where it’s resting on the table. “His loss.” 

Connor quickly pulls his hand back. 

“He’s just at the bar,” he glances over,  _ thinks _ he can make out Freddie’s red hair in the mess of people crowded around and tries to will him back with his mind. Alex has moved closer when he looks back. Connor instinctively takes a step back.

“Listen,” Alex’s expression is intent. “I’ve been thinking about you a lot and I know I made some mistakes, we both did.”

“We are  _ not _ having this conversation.” 

“Hey, I’m  _ trying,” _ Alex actually looks  _ put out. _ “We had something good,”

“Connor?” Freddie appears like  _ magic _ at his side. He glances between them, gaze lingering on Connor. “Everything okay?”

He accepts the beer from Freddie but his stomach has twisted itself into knots and he sets it down on the table quickly. Humiliation has started to creep up on him- he  _ knows _ what’s going to happen next, Alex is going to push and Freddie will know that Connor isn’t worth his time. 

“He’s fine.” Connor flushes, mortified. Alex sizes up Freddie but while he’s tall, he has nothing on Freddie’s solid frame. “Who are you?” 

“Fred,” he sets his beer next to Connor’s on the table. Connor startles but doesn’t pull away when he drapes an arm across his shoulders. Despite his panic, Connor can feel how warm he is, how solid, through the layers of clothes separating them. “His boyfriend. And you are?” 

Connor doesn’t react though it’s a close thing. Alex’s glare is venomous as he turns to Connor. It’s a look he’s intimately familiar with. Freddie’s arm tightens around his shoulders. 

“Alex. Connor’s ex.” He offers his hand. Freddie ignores it. “We were just catching up.” 

“Never heard of you,” Freddie glances at Connor. “Must not have left a lasting impression.”

Connor for his part feels like he’s experiencing all of this as though from far away, outside of his own body. Freddie gives him a warm smile, one he can feel all the way down to his toes and he’s helpless but to return it. 

“Did you wanna find the others, babe? Or head home?” 

“We should probably find them before we leave,” he manages to find his tongue. His heart, he realizes, is beating rabbit quick in his chest. “Matty bitches when we take off without saying bye.” 

Freddie reaches across and grabs Connor’s beer, pressing it into his hands, before getting his own. He glances over Alex but doesn’t say anything else, just lets his grip on Connor steer him away from the awkward conversation, away from the guy who made his life a living hell for  _ months. _

Alex sputters but doesn’t try to stop them. Connor doesn’t say anything and it feels a lot like winning. 

“Do you want to find Mitch and Austson?” Freddie asks quietly as they wind their way through the crowd. Concern is written across his face. “Would it help?”

He shakes his head. He’s feeling a little shaky, but nothing compared to what it would have felt like months ago, without Freddie.

“I’m good,” and he finds it’s mostly true. “Thanks, man. I owe you.”

Freddie shakes his head. “That guys a dick for the way he treated you. I really wanted to hit him.” Connor arches his eyebrows. Freddie’s relatively new to their combined friend group; he certainly missed the part where Alex and Connor were a  _ thing. _ “Auston may have mentioned him.”

Connor groans.

“Does  _ everyone _ know about my shitty taste in guys?” 

“He only told me because I asked,” Freddie admits. There aren’t any more free tables but they find an empty space along the wall. “I had to bribe him with a gift certificate to that Mongolian grill he likes to get anything out of him.”

“You asked?” Connor frowns. Has he been giving off weird vibes this entire time or something? Enough for Freddie to want to know why?

“Yeah.” Even with the dim light of the bar Connor can make out the way Freddie’s cheeks pink at the admission. Something like understanding blooms in his chest.  _ Oh. _ “I wanted to know if you were single. He said you’d just gotten out of a pretty terrible relationship.”

“You wanted to know if I was single?”

It’s Connor’s turn to blush though he’s sure he doesn’t look  _ nearly _ as good as Freddie does- his blush has a tendency to run across his cheeks to his ears and  _ all _ the way down his chest. He’d assumed it was a redhead thing before meeting Freddie. Freddie, who just does  _ everything _ with some degree of handsomeness. 

“It’s kind of terrible timing,” Freddie ducks his head, his expression earnest. It does  _ things _ to him. “But I’ve been holding off on asking for months. Would you want to go on a date some time?”

_ “Yes?” _ He doesn’t mean for it to come out like a question. “Yes. Definitely.” He has  _ no chill _ whatsoever. He’s okay with this. “On one condition.”

“Anything.” Freddie promises easily. His free hand reaches out, tangling with Connor’s. This time when Connor’s stomach twists itself into knots, it’s with  _ anticipation. _

“We go somewhere else. Some place we  _ aren’t _ going to run into each other’s exes.” Freddie laughs, the sound rich and warm. Connor already knows he’ll never be able to get enough of it. With a mischievous grin he adds, “How do you feel about kissing  _ before _ the first date?”

The way Freddie’s gaze darkens, his gaze dropping to Connor’s mouth answers  _ that _ question. 


End file.
